Foot corrective pads



Dec, 22, 1959 Filed Nov. 27, 1957 M. R. LEVITT FOOT CORRECTIVE PADS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 22, 1959 Filed Nov. 27, 1957 M. R. LEVlTT 2,918,056

FOOT CORRECTIVE PADS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent FOOTCORRECTIVE PADS Milton R. Levitt, New Brunswick, N.J., assignor to TheScholl Mfg. Co., Inc, Chicago, IlL, a corporation of New YorkApplication November 27, 1957, Serial No. 699,337

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-80) This invention relates to improvements in footcorrective pads, and more particularly to pressure relieving padsattachable to the foot with the aid of a toe loop rather than thecustomary adhesive, the pads being highly desirable for relief ofvarious foot afflictions, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various types of foot corrective and pressurealleviating pads have been developed, and some of those pads wereprovided with toe loops or other types of loops for attaching thedevices to the feet of the users. Few, if any, of these formerly knownpads, however, were capable of a dual purpose or function, namely thealleviation of more than one affliction at a time. It frequently occurswith feet subject to corns and similar afflictions that corns must be sodisposed that the individual treatment of one by a pressure removingappliance will cause aggravation of another. At times, corns disposed onopposite sides of a toe, and particularly when one of those corns isbetween toes, the use of separate appliances for each corn results in acommon aggravation of the corns so as to retard the efiicacy of thepressure relieving devices and materially delays the expectedimprovement. Sometimes, also, the application of an alleged relievingappliance by way of pressure sensitive adhesive or the like to the footof the user prevented the particular afiiiction responding to treatmentas rapidly as desirable.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a simple form of foot corrective pad or appliancewhich may be attached to the foot without the use of adhesive material,and which is designed to simultaneously relieve a plurality ofaffiictions.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of afoot corrective appliance or pad held in place by means of a toe loopand which is so shaped as to alleviate a plurality of afilictions inreasonable proximity to each other at the same time.

Another desideratum of the instant invention is the provision of a footcorrective appliance embodying a toe loop, and including a pad portionfor alleviating an aflliction on the inner side of a terminal toe, orupon either side of an intermediate toe.

It is also a feature of the instant invention to provide a footcorrective appliance embodying a toe loop which appliance incorporates apadlike portion for disposition between adjacent toes, this portionbeing so shaped as to intimately fit the web of the foot between thetoes, so that the device may be accurately and comfortably positionedand retain that position through long usage.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a simple formof foot corrective appliance so shaped as to simultaneously alleviate aplurality of aifiictions, and which appliance embodies a toe loop andmay be made from one integral blank or pattern.

Still another feature of the instant invention resides in the provisionof a simple form of toe loop foot corrective pad highly desirable forthe alleviation of a hammer toe, particularly one having a corn onthetop.

Still a further object of the instant inventionresides in the provisionof a simple form of toe loop foot corrective appliance capable ofalleviating a plurality of afilictions simultaneously, and which may bereadily, con-v structed as to size and shape for the alleviation ofvarious different types of afliictions.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof theinstant invention-have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration ofthe human foot showing the same provided with two embodiments of theinstant invention located in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank or pattern from which one of thedevices of Fig. l isformed;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the devices of Fig. 1, lookingat the inner face of the device as the same is positioned in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a human foot provided with twoother embodiments of the instant invention showing the same in operativeposition;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged end elevational view of theappliance shownat the top of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the structure ofFig. 5, taken substantially as indicated by which the lowermost deviceas shown in Fig. 4 may be.

made; and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 8. afterforming.

As shown in the drawings:

With reference now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the firstembodiment of the instant invention is shown in two different sizes,although the structure is the same for each size. In this instance, thedevices are applied to a human foot 1, and one of the devices generallyindicated by'numeral 2 is of a size to extend along the inner side of.

the foot and alleviate or remove pressure from a bunion adjacent thefirst metatarsal head, while at the same time eliminating pressure froma corn between the first and second toes. The other size of the devicegenerally indicated by a numeral 3' is disposed to extend along theouter side of thefoot, removing pressure from a tailors bunion, and atthe same time alleviating a corn between the fourth and fifth toes.

As stated above, the only difference between the appliances 2 and 3 ismere size, and now with reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that anentire device may be made from a single blank or pattern of material.Preferably the material used is a relatively thick sheet of foam material, whichmay be foam latex, polyurethane foam, polyvinyl chloridefoam, or an equivalent substance that is light in weight, highlyresilient, and possesses long-lasting restorative qualities. Preferably,also, the foam material has intercommunicating cells throughout so thatit may breathe under relatively light pressure during use, and provideadequate air contact with the afflicted parts and adjacent flesh. Aspointed out later herein, however, the device may suitably be made offelt or equivalent cushioning fabric material, if so desired.

The pattern may satisfactorily be made up of a sheet of cushioningmaterial 4 covered with a thinner and preferably smooth surfaced sheet5, which may be a plastic film, or a sheet of smooth surfaced fabric,which is pref erably provided with numerous perforations, as indicatedat 6.

The pattern itself comprises a pair oflike body parts 7 and 8 and, sincethe particular device-illustrated is for a bunion, these body parts aregenerally oval in shape.

Each of the body parts 7 and 8 is also preferably pro:

vided with an opening or aperture 9 for the reception of at least themajor portion of the bunion.- The body parts are connected adjacent oneend thereof by an integral and substantially straight and relativelynarrow neck 10 and in an intermediate location the neckcarries anintegral secondary pad portion or body 11, also provided with anaperture 12. This part 11 extends across the neck 10, and on the innerside of the neck is provided with a curvate somewhat V-shaped notch 13in the end, which notch efifectively fits the web of the foot betweenadjacent toes when the device is applied as seen in Fig. 1. In shapingthe pattern into the finished device, one of the body members is rotatedthroughout a complete revolution and placed in overlapping or superposedrelationship with the other body member. In the illustrated instance,looking at Fig. 2, the body member 8 would be turned under and rotateduntil the, fabric surface 5 thereof contacted the cushioning surface 4of the body member 7 whereupon the two body members are secured togetherby a suitable cementitious material, or by stitching, as will laterappear herein. Thus, a composite body part for the pad is formed whichis of double thickness relatively to the secondary pad portion 11, whichremains of single thickness. The neck 10 will thereupon form a toe loop,and the secondary pad part 11 will be circumferentially spaced away fromthe composite body 7-8. When the secondary pad is central of the neck10, as illustrat'ed, it will be located on the opposite side of the toeloop from the main body portion.

When placed in position upon the foot, the composite body part 78 willextend along the side of the foot with a bunion adjacent the terminalmetatarsal head received in the opening resulting from the apertures 9.At the same time, the secondary or auxiliary pad 11 may be positionedbetween the terminal toe and the next adjacent toe with a corn on eitherof those toes disposed in the opening '12, so that pressure isalleviated from that corn. It is to be especially noted that the entiredevice snugly fits the foot, with the notch 13 on the auxiliary padintimately. engaging the web of the foot between the adjacent toes. Theprovision of this notch permits the entire device to be drawn down tothe base of the toe in'proper and sustaining location, so there will beno unintentional shifting of the device during use. Preferably, theslick fabric cover 5 is disposed externally so as not to drag againsthosiery when the same is donned or taken off, and the foam cushioningmaterial 4 provides a gentle clinging action against the foot itself. 1

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have illustrated another form of the instantinvention and in this instance, there is an appliance generallyindicated by a numeral 14, which is particularly suitable for thealleviation of 'a corn on the external surface :or side of a terminaltoe, as well as the alleviation of a corn disposed between that toe andthe next adjacent toe. Obviously, while this pad is illustrated for thealleviation of a corn on the outer side of the fifth toe and a cornbetween the fourth and fifth toes, if made in a larger size it couldequally as well be utilized on the first toe in substantiallyidentically the same manner.

In this instance, the appliance 14 is made from a pattern or blankgenerally similar to the pattern seen in Fig. 2, and above described,and it may'also be made of the same material. The pattern is somewhatdifferently shaped from thatshown in Fig. 2, and embodies a pair ofsubstantially circular body portions 15 and 16 connected by a neck :17which joins the respective body portions substantiallycentrally thereof.In an intermediate location, the neck .17 carries an auxiliary pad .18

which is of the same general configuration as the auxiliary 4 pad 11above described, and which is provided with a web-engaging notch 19 atits rear edge, and an aperture 20 in its forward portion. Each of thebody parts 15 and 16 is preferably provided with a suitableaffiiction-recciving aperture 21, as seen clearly in Fig. 6, whichapertures are in register.

When the appliance is formed from the blank, and the body parts 15 and16 are brought into superposition and secured together, the neck 17defines a toe loop and, since the auxiliary pad 18 is substantiallycentrally disposed on the neck, it will appear diametrally opposite tothe composite body parts 15--16. In this instance, an additionalthickness of material 22 of the same size and shape as the auxiliary pad18 has been secured to the pad 18, as seen clearly in Figs. 5 and 6, tothereby make the auxiliary pad of the same thickness, or of a greaterthickness than a single ply, to better correspond with the thickness ofthe joined body parts 15 and 16.

This appliance, therefore, provides adequate spacing between adjacenttoes forthe proper relief of pressure and alleviation of a corn betweenthose toes, and it makes little if any difference which toe may bear thecorn. As seen in Fig. 4, the composite body portion will effectivelyrelieve pressure from a corn on the outside of the toe, while theauxiliary pad thickened by the additional ply 22 provides proper spacingbetween the terminal toe and the next adjacent toe to effectivelyalleviate a corn in that region. It will be noted that the notch 19 inthe edge of the auxiliary pad intimately fits the web of the footbetween the toes so that the device is comfortably and snugly retainedin position.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated in plan a pad or appliance having the samegeneral shape as that of Figs. 5 and 6, but in this instance theappliance is made of a different material, namely a fabric such as felt,and the body parts of which the visible one is designated 15a, aresecured together in superposed relationship by means of stitching asindicated at 23. Likewise, the additional lamination added to theauxiliary pad 18a may be secured thereto by stitching 24. This figure ofthe drawings is indicative of the fact that all forms of the instantinvention illustrated may be made of a fabric such as felt with theoverlapping portions stitched together, if so desired.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated another form of the instantinvention which is particularly desirable for use with an afilictionsuch as hammer toe, and in Fig. 4 this appliance is shown in operativeposition on the second toe of the foot 1. In the case of hammer toe,there is frequently a corn developed on the top or highest point of thetoe, and in order to lend corrective aid to the hammer toe, it isdesirable to-give some support beneath the forward end of the toe, so asto aid the toe in straightening, if the same is possible, and in orderto cushion the toe at the same time.

In this instance, the same general type of blank or pattern is utilizedas shown in Fig. 8, and it comprises a pair of spaced body portions 25and 26, each apertured as indicated at 27, and these body portions areconnected by an integral neck 28, which ultimately forms a toe loop whenthe body portions are superposed and secured together in the mannerabove described. Projecting from one side of the neck is 'an auxiliarypad 29 which, in this instance, is not apertured, but which ispreferably provided with a V-notch 30 at the rear end thereof and thisnotch is in etfect a cut away portion of the neck 28.

When the body parts 25 and 26 are superposed and secured together, theauxiliary pad 29 projects forwardly of the "composite body pad and theV-not'ch is provided to eliminate pressure from a corn or callus thatmay be on the "underside of the hammer toe. As seen in Fig. 4, thecomposite body part 25- 26 re ieves pressure from the .hump of thehammer toe, whi e the corn that may be on top of the toe is receivedinjthe apertures 27. At the same time, the auxiliary pad 29 underliesthe forepart of the toe, and if a callus, corn, or the like is on theunderside of the toe, the notch 30 may be properly positioned to relievepressure from that affliction. Of course, this particular appliance maybe applied to any toe of the foot, and should occasion warrant, theappliance might be mounted in reverse position if it would more suitablyalleviate another type of affliction.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided simple andeconomical foot corrective pads or appliances, each of which is designedto simultaneously alleviate a plurality of afiiictions, and to besecured in proper position upon the foot without the use of any adhesivematerial or the equivalent. In general, each of the appliances comprisesa single intergral and unitary pattern or blank from which the finishedappliance is shaped, and the appliances may be made from substantiallyany desired material.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A foot corrective pad, including a pair of like body parts ofcushioning material, an integral neck connecting said body parts, asecondary pad carried by said neck intermediate said body parts, andsaid body parts being superposed and secured together with said neckforming a toe loop. said secondary pad being spaced circumferentiallyfrom the superposed body parts, and said superposed body parts extendingfarther from one side of said toe loop than the other While saidsecondary pad extends farther from the other side of the toe loop.

2. A foot corrective pad, including a pair of like body parts ofcushioning material, an integral neck connecting said body partsadjacent like end portions of the body parts, a secondary pad carried bysaid neck intermediate said body parts, and said body parts beingsuperposed and secured together with said neck forming a toe loop, saidsecondary pad extending from said neck farther in the opposite directionfrom said body parts than in the direction toward them.

3. A foot corrective pad, including a blank of uniform thicknessthroughout and shaped to define a pair of like body parts with arelatively narrow neck connecting said body parts and a secondary padbody carried by said neck intermediate the ends thereof, said body partsbeing superposed and secured together with said neck forming a toe loopand said secondary pad body being spaced circumferentially on said loopfrom the superposed body parts.

4. A foot corrective pad, including a blank of uniform thickness shapedto define a pair of like body parts with a relatively narrow neckconnecting said body parts and a secondary pad body carried by said neckintermediate the ends thereof, said body parts being superposed andsecured together with said neck forming a toe loop and said secondarypad body being spaced circumferentially on said loop from the superposedbody parts, and an extra thickness of material secured to said secondarypad body to increase the total thickness of the same to approximate thethickness of the superposed body parts.

5. A foot corrective pad, including a pair of like body parts, arelatively narrow neck connecting said body parts, and a secondary padbody carried by said neck intermediate the ends thereof, said body partsbeing superposed and secured together with said neck forming a toe loopand said secondary pad body being spaced circumferentially on said loopfrom the superposed body parts, said secondary pad body having a curvatenotch in an end thereof to fit the Web between adjacent toes of thefoot.

6. A foot corrective pad, including a pair of like body parts, arelatively narrow neck connecting said body parts adjacent like endsthereof, and a secondary pad body carried by said neck intermediate theends thereof, said body parts being superposed and secured together withsaid neck forming a toe loop and said secondary pad body being spacedcircumferentially on said loop from the superposed body parts, said bodyparts being elongated with rounded ends for disposition on the top of ahammer toe and extending mainly to the rear of the toe loop, and saidsecondary pad body extending forwardly of the toe loop to underlie thehammer toe.

7. A foot corrective pad, including a pair of like body parts, arelatively narrow neck connecting said body parts, and a secondary padbody carried by said neck intermediate the ends thereof, said body partsbeing superposed and secured together with said neck forming a toe loopand said secondary pad body being spaced circumferentially on said loopfrom the superposed body parts, said body parts being made of fabric andmarginally stitched together and projecting farther to one side of thetoe loop than the other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS895,145 Bauer Aug. 4, 1908 2,416,823 Day Mar. 4, 1947 2,585,629 CrawfordFeb. 12, 1952 2,797,686 Crawford July 2, 1957

